Handle-bar.



PATENTEfi AUG. 20, 1907.

0. ALTENBURGER.

HANDLE BAR. Arrmugnon FILED 33M. 5.190s.

INVENTOH.

. CarZ Elienurg' WITNESSES v ATTORNEYS n": NORRIS PETERS co, WASNINIITUN, v. c.

, CARL ALTENBURGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HANDLE-BAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1907.

Application filed September 5, 1906. Serial No. 333,343.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL AL'rnNBUReEn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Handle-Bar, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in handle bars for bicycles or the like, the object being to provide a handle bar so constructed as to have the required rigidity for steering purposes, but to yield vertically under pressure, thus relieving the riders arms from the strain or jar incident to a rigid bar.

I will describe a handle bar embodying my invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side view partly in section, of a handle bar embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a side View showing a position of the hand grip under pressure; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a section showing a modification.

g, Referring first to the example of my improvement shown in Figs. 1 to 4, 5 designates a handle bar substantially of the usual construction, from which, however, the usual hand grips are removed to be replaced by a hand grip embodying my invention. The hand grip consists of a tubular member 6 having at its inner end an inwardly extended annular flange 7 and on this tubular member is a lug 8 pivotally connected to a lug 9 extended downward from a clamping sleeve 10 designed to engage over the end of the handle bar 5. This sleeve 10 is slotted for a portion of its length, as indicated at 11, so that it may be tightly clamped against the handle-bar by means of a screw bolt 12 engaging in lugs 13 extended downward from the slotted portion of the sleeve. The outer end wall of the sleeve 10 is provided with a slot 14 having a greater length than width, as clearly indicated in Fig. 3.

A rod 15 has at its inner end a T-head 16 which corresponds in shape to the slot 14 but is slightly longer than the width of said slot. The object for making the slot 14 longer than its width is, that when the bar is under pressure it has a tendency to force the bolt up at a different angle on account of not having room when assembled in the spring. This rod 15 passes into the hand grip 6 and is surrounded by a coiled spring 17, the inner end of which engages with the flange 7, while the outer end engages against a nut 18 engaging with the screw thread and the said rod. By means of this nut engaging with the screw-thread, the tension of the spring may be adjusted. j 1..

In assembling the parts the screw end of the rod 15 is passed through the slot 14, and when in position the head must be transverse to said slot whereby its ends will engage against the wall of the sheave, and immediately under the T head the rod is square to prevent it from turning when adjusting the nut, and the rod is passed through from the threaded end or screw end.

From the arrangement of parts as above described, it is obvious that the hand grips will yield vertically under the varying pressures exerted thereon.

In Fig. 5 the arrangement is practically the same as that above described, but in this construction the handle bar consists of the two sections 19 to which the hand grips are attached in the usual manner. These sections 19 are inserted in short members 20 hinged to the steering bar 21. It is obvious that in this construction the same result will obtain upon the bearing of the releasing pressure of the hand grips.

I am aware that heretofore two springs had been employed for securing the hand grip to the handle bar, but such construction is objectionable, not only because of the additional cost, but by arranging one of said springs wholly within the handle bar, it is apt to break.

The handle bar may be described as comprising a fixed member and movable tubular members, having a swinging connection with clamping sleeves, which sleeves are secured to the fixed member, the steering head corresponding to the fixed member in the form of construction shown in Fig. 5.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A handle bar for a bicycle or the like, comprising a fixed member having its end walls provided with slots and movable tubular members hinged to the fixed member, said movable members having inwardly extending annular flanges at their inner ends, rods having T-heads engaging the slots of thefixed member, said heads being of greater length than the width of the slots, springs encircling the rods, and having one end abutting against the inwardly extending annular flanges, and nuts on the rods against which the outer end of the springs abut.

2. A handle bar for a bicycle or the like, comprising a fixed member, clamping sleeves for engaging with the fixed member, the end walls of said sleeves being provided with slots, movable tubular members having a swinging connection with the sleeves, said movable members having inwardly extending annular flanges at their inner ends, rods within the movable members and having T-heads for engaging the slots, springs encircling the rods and abutting their inner ends against the annular flanges, and means on the outer ends of the rods againstwhich the outer ends of the springs abut.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARL ALTENBURGER.

Witnesses:

Mrs. C. ALTENBURGER, FRANK DANIELSON. 

